A truck scale is like most industrial machinery—regular maintenance is required to avoid costly failures. This is even more important for businesses that rely on a truck scale to complete business transactions. METTLER TOLEDO has developed a detailed white paper to help you maximize the uptime of your scale through proactive maintenance. Download here: http://ow.ly/ltzPj

1. ProactiveMaintenance
Proactive Maintenance
For Long Truck Scale Life
Contents
1 Responsibilities of the Scale Owner
2 Scheduled Tests & Maintenance
3 Inspection &
Preventative Maintenance Producers
4 Emergency Service
5 Warranties
Once your scale is installed, operational and certified for use, you may be ready to consider your truck scale
project a success. However, taking the time to develop a scheduled maintenance program while the scale is
still new can keep it performing optimally and increase its longevity. This is also the perfect time to utilize
the expertise of your scale supplier to discuss plans for service and repairs to your scale – both planned and
unplanned. It pays to think about how you will handle service and repairs before you actually need them.

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Cleanliness. The scale owner needs to keep the scale
clean and free of debris accumulation. The main goal
is ensuring that foreign materials do not obstruct the
necessary centering movements of the scale modules.
Debris can include:
• Spilled goods and material
(gravel, corn, scrap metal, etc.)
• Ice and snow
• Standing water
(ensure drainage systems are working as intended)
• Mud, dirt and sand
Traffic control. Truck traffic driving on and off of the
scale should be at a controlled pace. Your scale sup-
plier can provide recommendations for entry and exit
speeds based on your application. Most importantly,
this ensures the safety of those working nearby, as
well as the driver and the truck. Secondly, hard stops
and starts on the scale inflict heavy wear on scale
components and the foundation. This will lead to inac-
curate weights and scale breakdowns that will neces-
sitate more frequent repairs.
Awareness. Scale owners should be aware of how
their scale functions and the wear parts that will even-
tually need to be replaced. For example, the tires on
your car will eventually need to be replaced, and most
drivers do that before the tires have actually failed. The
same can be true for scale components, such as load
cell receivers, checking system parts and suspension
linkages. Eventually the wear level will necessitate
that parts be replaced to prevent a forthcoming failure.
Usually the best person to evaluate those situations is
a professional scale technician.
1 Responsibilities of the Scale Owner
Keeping the scale area clean helps prevent weighing errors caused by debris
2 Scheduled Tests & Maintenance
There are two types of ongoing scheduled activities
that need to be performed on a legal-for-trade truck
scale:
• Weights & Measures Checks / Calibrations / Re-
certifications
In many locations, the scale supplier is permit-
ted to perform the initial calibration and accuracy
check on the scale when it is installed. However,
typically after 60 days the scale’s accuracy will be
verified with tests performed by the local Weights &
Measures authority. W&M tests typically happen at
predetermined intervals, most often once per year.
Those tests are done in one of three ways:

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■ The W&M agency is equipped to perform those
tests and does so with its own truck and techni-
cians
■ The tests are performed by a scale service pro-
vider but must be witnessed by a W&M agency
representative
■ The tests are performed by a scale service pro-
vider and the scale owner must provide proof of
the test and the results to the W&M agency
Your scale supplier can tell you how this is done in
your location.
Tip: Remember that standard calibration checks
and recalibrations only ensure that scale’s accuracy
is within the legal tolerance. They do not ensure
that the scale’s accuracy is perfect. To monitor your
scale’s accuracy, ask your service provider to note
the scale’s accuracy “as found” and “as left”. This
helps you stay aware of problems with the scale’s
performance and minimize revenue loss.
• Manufacturer’s Recommended Preventative Main-
tenance
Your scale supplier will probably offer you a mainte-
nance program that includes periodic visits from a
scale technician who will test and inspect the scale
and perform preventative maintenance. While that
type of maintenance may not be legally required, to
many scale owners, the largest benefit is protection
from costly unplanned downtime. This program may
or may not cover the W&M requirements, depending
on your location. Note that the manufacturer may
require preventative maintenance as a condition of
the scale’s warranty.
Testing the scale
To test the scale, the technician or agency will bring a
special truck equipped with certified test weights to the
scale site. These weights will be applied to the scale in
specific weight intervals and in different locations on
the scale deck. The technician will monitor the weight
indicated by the scale to check its accuracy and con-
sistency. The technician will provide the customer with
a report noting the scale’s level of accuracy, as well as
findings from the inspection.
What happens if the scale does not pass the
Weights & Measures accuracy test?
If the scale’s error is beyond the legal tolerance, the
W&M agency may issue a yellow tag or a red tag (or
something similar). A yellow tag is a warning that
gives the scale owner a period of time (often 60 days)
to have the scale recalibrated by a service provider.
The yellow tag allows the scale to be used normally
during this time. In contrast, a red tag requires that the
scale is closed immediately. It cannot be used until
it is recalibrated. Avoiding that situation is another
reason that a scale owner may wish to be proactive
about preventative maintenance.
When discussing a maintenance program, ask the
supplier exactly what services are covered. Also ask:
• How often should scales be inspected? How long
does it take?
• How much time does a test require?
• How often should we test?
• How difficult is recalibration when we find an error?
Recommended preventative maintenance procedures
can vary between the needs of a specific make and
model of scale, as well as the application and amount
of traffic using the scale. However, a universal recom-
mendation is that, in addition to W&M tests, any truck
scale should undergo a thorough service inspection at
least once each year.

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The accuracy of your scale is undoubtedly important,
but you likely want to ensure the reliability and longev-
ity of the scale as well. When a scale breaks down or
eventually wears out, the cause is typically related to
the physical condition of the scale and its components.
Certain parts of a truck scale are designed to be re-
placed over time. Much like a set of tires on your car,
responsible scale owners should replace worn parts
before they actually fail. From a practical standpoint,
this allows you to schedule these procedures when
they are convenient, as opposed to paying a premium
for emergency service at the worst possible time.
Consistent inspection and preventative maintenance
procedures will reduce the cost of ownership and ex-
tend the scale’s life. Although certain procedures will
vary based on your scale’s design and configuration,
the following list includes many of the general inspec-
tion points that make up a thorough service visit.
Procedures may include, but not be limited to, the fol-
lowing:
Weighbridge & Foundation
• Inspect scale approaches for damage
• Check the scale and foundation for any binding be-
tween the deck and the foundation
• Inspect the edges of the scale for any foreign objects
(stones, etc.)
• Examine the area under the scale for buildup of debris
• Test drain pumps (where applicable) and inspect
drainage systems
• Examine the weighbridge for cracks, corrosion,
stress patterns, and broken welds
• Inspect deck module couplers for damage
• Examine siderails for damage
• Check for appropriate freedom of motion
• Examine tolerances on suspension/checking system,
both side-to-side and front-to-back and adjust as
needed
Load Cells
• Raise weighbridge and remove load cells to inspect
• Inspect load cell wear pattern for off-center loading
• Lubricate load cell mating surfaces
3 Inspection & Preventative Maintenance Procedures
• Check load cell mounting plates and tighten as
needed
• Inspect load cell cables for damage and secure any
loose cables
• Inspect grounding and lightning protection systems,
where applicable
Junction Boxes (where applicable)
• Open each junction box to inspect for debris and
moisture
• Ensure junction box cable connections are secure
• Inspect junction box seal and replace if needed
Terminal and Operations
• Check error messages and/or data logs, if so
equipped
• Ensure terminal is properly grounded
• Check for appropriate W&M seals
• Perform any system integration tasks as requested
by the customer
Periodically check load cells, receivers and other critical parts for wear
Some areas, such as load cell mating surfaces, require periodic lubrication

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Special Note:
Be aware that some scale companies generate most of their profit from performing scale service. Those com-
panies may sell customers new scales at a very small profit margin, hoping that they will make their profit
on servicing and repairing the scale later. Seeing a very low purchase price, some scale buyers purchase
service-prone systems that leave them budgeting large amounts of money each year for service and repairs.
That is one of the reasons to look at more than just the initial purchase price when buying a scale.
Who can perform service on my scale?
A reputable company that is qualified to perform scale
services can typically do so on any make and model
of truck scale. You may wish to gather multiple quotes
for maintenance and service programs. Be sure to
compare the content of those programs and not just
the price. Just as the prices may vary, so too can the
If your scale is down unexpectedly, your business
could be losing money with every hour that you wait
for repairs. Ideally, you want a service provider with
the right tools, equipment, knowledge, and replace-
ment parts to fix a problem in a single visit.
Additional questions for your potential service supplier:
• What kind of parts inventory do they carry?
• What is the travel time from their location to your
scale?
• What sequence of tests does the technician perform
when they are faced with a scale that isn’t operating
4 Emergency Service
properly? How long do they take?
• How long does it take to switch out a common part,
e.g., a load cell, a cable or hydraulic line, a printer,
etc.?
• Is service available 24 hours a day?
• How fast can the manufacturer get parts to the local
service organization?
• What equipment does the local organization have,
e.g., jacks, test equipment, test trucks, booms and
welding equipment?
• Is it possible to perform remote diagnostics rather
than traveling to the scale site?
Having a partnership with a reputable industrial scale service team can help any scale owner get the most out of their scales.
level of service and expertise you receive. Good ques-
tions to ask can include:
• Are there fixed rates for service calls?
• Is there a guaranteed response time for service
calls?
• What are the technicians’ qualifications?
• How do they source common replacement parts?

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How responsive is the manufacturer to warranty
coverage?
Does the scale manufacturer have a local sales/ser-
vice entity or distributor? If not, someone may need
to be dispatched from another location. It may be up
to you to consider the “what ifs” and determine how
responsive you think a company will be in an emer-
gency situation.
In summary, all truck scales will eventually require
service. Most scale owners want to have a reliable
partner for service and a plan to ensure the scale’s
performance. The time it takes to develop this plan
can be well worth the effort in the resulting peace of
mind.
Your scale should come with a manufacturer’s warranty.
As a customer, this is an area in which you should take
time to evaluate options, as warranties can vary con-
siderably. Some manufacturers offer a very limited stan-
dard warranty with expanded warranty coverage at an
added cost. Take the time to actually read the fine print
of the warranty and analyze the following categories.
What does the warranty cover?
Determine the specific level and duration of coverage
for the following:
• Types of components covered
• Types of failures covered
• Replacement parts
• On-site labor
• Travel costs for technicians
• Lightning (typically addressed in its own section in
the warranty)
There may be certain components that are excluded
from the warranty, or that may be covered under their
own separate warranty, such as printers.
How long is the warranty?
Some manufacturers prorate their level of coverage as
the scale ages. That means their warranty may only
cover a percentage of any covered repair after a few
years.
5 Warranties
Mettler-Toledo AG
Industrial
CH 8606 Greifensee
Switzerland
Phone +41-44-944 22 11
Fax +41-44-944 30 60
Subject to technical changes
©02/2013 Mettler-Toledo AG
www.mt.com
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